ICC cannot compel board to play bi-lateral series: Zaheer Abbas

Karachi: Amid indications that the PCB may raise with the ICC the issue of India not agreeing on a series with Pakistan, ICC President Zaheer Abbas today made it clear that the world body cannot intervene to revive India Pakistan cricketing ties as it was a bilateral matter.

Last week, BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur had said that there will be no revival of cricketing relations between the two countries unless outstanding political and diplomatic issues are resolved. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan had also admitted that chances of the bilateral series between Pakistan and India in December taking place are now very slim.

A well informed official told that Shaharyar was very disappointed after the cancellation of the talks between the national security advisors of the two countries. The source said that Shaharyar had dropped his plans to visit India for talks with BCCI and government officials to convince them to have the series in December in the United Arab Emirates.

"He is not going to India but the PCB will this week write to the BCCI a strong letter asking them to honour the MoU signed between the two boards and give a clear answer on the series," the source added.

The source said that if India didn't honour the MoU the PCB would try to raise the issue at the ICC executive board level since the December series was their home series.

"Whenever it is our home series we get this feeling India has avoided playing us since 2007 and we have incurred big losses. We even went to India in 2012/13 without taking any big money as a goodwill gesture. But now it is not just about cricket but also finances," he said.